According to the Conference Board of Canada study, Canada, Bilingualism and Trade, bilingualism leads definitively to important economic advantages. In effect, thanks to this research, produced for the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité Canada (RDÉE Canada) and the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) with funding from Industry Canada, the Conference Board of Canada has found that bilingualism not only benefits New Brunswick and Quebec, which display higher rates of bilingualism, it benefits all Canadians.

CEDEC hosted a Virtual Incubator Consultation Day in association with various stakeholders that were brought together to openly discuss ideas, identify potential issues and identify potential partners. This Findings Report provides a summary of the discussion that took place and recommendations to move forward.

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES AND EMPLOYABILITY OF THE HIDDEN TALENT POOL: THE MATURE WORKERS

This report, authored by CEDEC, follows the “Profile of English-Speaking Mature Workers Residing in the Montreal Area” report. It outlines a follow-up survey of employers, recruitment agencies and employment service providers to understand their perspectives on the opportunities or challenges associated with hiring a mature worker.

PROFILE OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING MATURE WORKERS RESIDING IN THE MONTREAL AREA

This report highlights findings of two surveys conducted in the Greater Montreal Area in 2011, which identified employment needs and challenges of mature workers. The findings suggest that this is a complex group presenting numerous life situations and barriers who often feel frustrated because they face challenges they have little or no control over.

STIMULATING SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN QUEBEC’S ENGLISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES

This report outlines various factors that stimulate or impede small business growth within Quebec’s minority language English-speaking communities with the aim to develop recommendations concerning ways to further stimulate business development in these communities.

Do young adults (25-34) find your community attractive? Do you have a business-friendly council? Do business and education communities work together to provide timely, convenient training? The Business Vitality Initiative is a process that brings diverse stakeholders together to discuss these questions and economic opportunities in an open and dynamic environment.

Complementing these tools, CEDEC has trained facilitators to lead this process in Quebec.

Tailor-made for the Quebec context, this toolkit was designed to help better understand the organizational landscape to aid in planning, development of partnerships, and the search for financial and human resources to turn ideas into reality.